Atmospheric electric acupuncture monitor

ABSTRACT

Atmospheric electric acupuncture monitor, according to FIG.  5  consist of an ion generator ( 1 ) a feed back generator ( 4 ), connecting cables ( 2 ) and an insulative cover ( 3 ). The ion generator will deliver the ions to the object to be treated (human or animal) resting on the insulative cover. The connecting cable will keep the object to be treated at a fixed potential (usually zero with respect the ground). The feed back unit will monitor the exposure (number of ions per unit time) as well as the total dose (integrated charge) to the object. According to the invention it is possible to control the electric effect released by the ions plating out over the area exposed.

The Area of Application for the Invention

The invention concerns an atmospheric electric acupuncture monitor forproducing and regulating an ion current. The regulated current may beused in an acupuncture treatment of human beings as well as animals. Theeffect of the treatment is caused by the current from the neutralizedions.

State of the Technique

For centuries acupuncture has been used in many parts of the world inthe treatment of widely different diseases and ailments. And often withremarkable results. Up till now the treatment has in principle consistedin the subcutaneous insertion of metal needles at certain points of theskin (acupoints) in connection with the so-called meridians. Nosatisfactory explanation has ever been given as to why such a processshould have a physiological (or other type of) effect. And it has beencharacteristic for acupuncture treatments that the results were oftenvery varying and unpredictable.

It is now the claim of this invention that the effect of acupuncturebasically is caused by weak electrical currents caused by the dischargeon the skin of atmospheric ions (air ions).

This phenomenon is explained in the following paper by dr. NielsJonassen: Is Acupuncture An Electrical Phenomenon.

-   -   Is Acupuncture an Electrical Phenomenon?        -   by    -   Niels Jonassen, D. Sc.

For centuries acupuncture, the subcutaneous insertion of metallicneedles in certain parts of (mostly) the human body, has been practicedin various parts of the world for diagnostic as well as remedialpurposes.

There have been plenty of reports of surprising effects of acupunctureon many types of diseases or discomfort, but it should be stressed thatthese reports are normally anecdotal in character, often collections ofsingle cases, and rarely based on strict scientific investigations,including double blind tests etc.

As far as explanations of why and how acupuncture works (if it does) weare also at a loss.

There are volumes written about acupuncture practices relative tovarious ailments, and almost all of these treatises talks aboutmeridians and acupuncture points, but I still haven't seen any(scientific) attempt to explain why the insertion of a needle in one ofthese points should have any kind of effect.

I, personally, have no belief, one way or another, whether or notmeridians and acupuncture points are scientific facts. But let's justassume they are, and that they represent especially sensitive zones ofthe body.

Can we then think of a way a needle in such a point might increase thepossibility of interacting with the surrounding atmosphere?

John Wetling, who has worked with ion therapy and acupuncture for years,recently put this question to me. He also suggested that it might havesomething to do with ions and electric fields.

Being a skeptic and a doubter in all non-proven scientific matters, Iredefined the question to the following:

Is there any way a metallic needle inserted subcutaneously in the skincan interact physically with the environment ?

And I think there is. And in order to explain that we have to look alittle at the fascinating topic of atmospheric electricity.

In the outdoor atmosphere there will always be an electric field.

Under fair-weather conditions the field will be directed towards ground,and at flat horizontal areas the field will be more or less homogeneousand have a value about 150 V·m⁻¹, FIG. 1.

The origin of the atmospheric electric field is thunderstorms. At anygiven time about 2000 thunderstorms are active, creating a voltagedifference of about 300,000 volt, between the lower part of theionosphere and the ground.

The field will make airborne, charged particles move, the positiveparticles in the direction of the field, the negative in the oppositedirection.

The most important of the charged particles are the atmospheric ions(see for instance Niels Jonassen: IONS, Compliance Engineering,June/July 1999).

The field-induced motion of the positive ions constitutes a current toground with an average value of about 3 pA·m⁻² (3-10⁻¹² ampere persquare meter).

If now the surface considered is not horizontal the situation changesdramatically.

In FIG. 2 is shown the field around a sharp structure, like a mountainridge or maybe just a house roof.

The field will no longer be homogeneous, but is said to be distorted,having values in the order of 1000-2000 V-m⁻¹, i.e. about 10 times thevalues at a horizontal surface.

Consequently the current to ground will be about 10 times as dense.

A special case of a strongly distorted field is shown in FIG. 3.

Here we have a house supplied with a (grounded) lightning rod. Above thehouse is a thundercloud with a negative base.

We notice that the direction of the field lines is the opposite of thatin fair-weather conditions, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The field strength has its highest value at the tip of the rod, and ifthe field strength here exceeds a critical value, the break-down fieldstrength, of 3-4 MV-m ⁻¹ (34 million volt per meter) an electricdischarge takes place.

The discharge may take the form of a silent corona discharge or it maystart a violent and dramatic lightning discharge.

The field strengths and currents will be much larger than withfair-weather conditions, but the point is, that in both cases adistortion of the electric field, caused by a sharp or pointed“electrode” will increase the current from the atmosphere to theelectrode.

And here we are finally approaching the topic of acupuncture.

In FIG. 4 is shown a finger with an acupuncture needle inserted.

The finger and the rest of the body are assumed to be grounded andplaced in a positive field, i.e. a field directed towards any groundedobjects. In the absence of the needle the current to the finger, causedby the field will be distributed more or less evenly over the finger.

The needle, however, will distort the field and concentrate the currentto the needle and hence to the point where the needle is inserted.

Now the question obviously arises: What is the probability for the bodyto be in an electric field? First of all it should be stressed, that theoutdoor atmospheric electric field, discussed in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, isshielded almost one hundred percent by most building materials.

On the other hand (weak) electric fields are almost always present, evenin indoor environments, originating from people moving or insulatingmaterials being acciden-tally charged.

And at the same time there are always ions present in the atmosphere,originating primarily from decay of naturally occurring airbornenuclides.

As a consequence weak currents will constantly be flowing to the body,the direction depending on the origin of the fields in the environment.

As explained above the insertion of needles in the skin may increase thecurrents to selected parts of the body, and it is obvious that it ispossible to increase the magnitude of the fields as well as of the ionconcentrations and thus of the resulting currents by usingwell-established principles of physics.

This is for instance done with the so-called 3A-therapy developed byJohn Wetling.

The present little dissertation has demonstrated that basic principlesof Physics predict that the subcutaneous insertion of needles in theskin may increase the transport of charged particles to the point ofinsertion.

And that is all.

To repeat:

The author takes no stand to the question of meridians and acupuncturepoints or more generally to the possible effects of acupuncture.

But I believe that the practitioners of acupuncture and relatedpractices may gain a little more insight in the physical background oftheir work by applying the principles presented above.

Special Effects of the Invention

According to the invention the claim is that the insertion of anacupuncture needle in the skin may have two types of physical effects,that is 1) the needle will concentrate a possible electrical field andhence enhance the flow of ions to the body and 2) that it is the currentdelivered by the neutralized ions, which is the cause of theacupunctural effect.

It appears from the application in question that it is of vitalimportance that the electrical potential of the object being treated,human or animal, relative to ground is being monitored continuously.This is a question, which never seems to have been addresses intraditional acupuncture therapy, and this may be an essential reason forthe great variance in the effects of traditional acupuncture treatment.

The invention is clearly based on the concept of acupuncture. But wheretraditional acupuncture relies on more or less odd atmosphericelectrical conditions, and on the insertion of needles in discretepoints, with this invention it is possible to spray a larger area withions, and accurately to control and measure the exposure (number of ionsper unit time) as well as the total dose (total passed charge).

Technical Means.

The invention comprises, according to FIG. 5, of a negative iongenerator, a feed back unit) for measuring and controlling the exposureand dose to the object to be treated, a cable for maintaining thepotential of the object and an insulative cover.

By using the invention any person, treating human beings or animals,may, even without a special knowledge of acupuncture, be able to conductwell-controlled and measurable treatments with air ions with effects,which are directly comparable to those of acupuncture.

1-6. (canceled)
 7. An atmospheric electric acupuncture device comprisinga negative ion generator, electrical cables to maintain the potential ofan object to be treated, a back feed unit to control the exposure anddose to the objects being treated and an insulating cover.
 8. A deviceaccording to claim 7, wherein the feedback unit is adapted to monitor anumber of discharged ions per unit of a time measure.
 9. A deviceaccording to claim 7, wherein the feedback unit is adapted to monitor atotal charge delivered to the object.
 10. A device according to claim 7,wherein the feedback unit is adapted to monitor a time measure for anexposure of ions.
 11. A device according to claim 7, wherein thefeedback unit is adapted to keep the object at a specific potential. 12.A method of trating a patient using atmospheric electric acupunture,comprising the steps of: electrically isolating the patient from ground,connecting the patient electrically to a ion generator via a feed-backunit, and spraying an area of the patient with ions.
 13. A methodaccording to claim 12, wherein the patient is positioned in a verticalor horizontal position on an insulating cover.
 14. A device according toclaim 8, wherein the feedback unit is adapted to monitor a total chargedelivered to the object.
 15. A device according to claim 8, wherein thefeedback unit is adapted to monitor a time measure for an exposure ofions.
 16. A device according to claim 9, wherein the feedback unit isadapted to monitor a time measure for an exposure of ions.
 17. A deviceaccording to claim 8, wherein the feedback unit is adapted to keep theobject at a specific potential.
 18. A device according to claim 9,wherein the feedback unit is adapted to keep the object at a specificpotential.
 19. A device according to claim 10, wherein the feedback unitis adapted to keep the object at a specific potential.